*****

Warning: Shameless Gushing Follows

If I could make everyone in the world follow one rule it would be to read Candyfreak by Steve Almond. OK… actually, If I had such power I would make everyone follow a whole bunch of rules including, but not limited to: drive right dammit; stop thinking just about yourself (and in a related vein, stop thinking everything is about you); vote against Bush; be nice to people behind counters; and bless the beasts and the children… and of course read Candy Freak.

This book has made me a Steve Almond freak! This book is fascinating and hell-arious … I cannot believe I enjoyed non-fiction so much! I wanted to eat candy … specific candy … for three days now…it’s one of the biggest reasons to finish the book … to drive away the cravings. And I did spend $4.40 on just 2 candy bars at Bread & Circus today to try the 5 star bars featured deliciously on pages 100-115. Plus I now must search online for hard-to-find regional & discontinued candies. I liked this book so much I was reading bits of it outloud to anyone who would listen. I had to commiserate with everyone I talked to, just as Almond does, about eating Baker’s chocolate… I was not the only child who did not learn from the first mistake nor did I heed my mother’s warnings! It smells so damn good! So, anyway, after reading a few drab tomes lately I am so glad this book breathed back some life into my literary world. Thank You Steve Almond…my hero!

Please, I beg of you all… since I know you won’t drive right, the least you could do is read this book!